Recognizing the 10th Anniversary of the First Faa-Approved Drone Delivery in the United States, Commending Let's Fly Wisely

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate a landmark moment in both American aviation history and rural health care innovation: the 10th anniversary of the first Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved drone delivery, which took place in Wise County, Virginia, on July 17, 2015.

This groundbreaking event marked the first official drone package delivery in this country. It was the first time in our Nation's history that medical supplies were delivered to patients via Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), setting a global precedent for how drone technology can serve humanity.

The drone delivery was made possible through an extraordinary collaboration among several visionary partners:

Flirtey, a pioneering startup in commercial drone delivery (including co-founder and chief executive officer Matthew Sweeny; co-founder and chief operations officer Tom Bass; advisory board member Shyam Chidamber);

Health Wagon, a nonprofit health care organization that has served the medically underserved in Central Appalachia for over four decades (including chief executive officer, Dr. Teresa Gardner Tyson, DNP; clinical director, Dr. Paula Meade Collins, DNP);

Remote Area Medical (RAM), which organizes annual pop-up clinics providing free medical, dental, and vision care (including president, Stan Brock);

NASA Langley Research Center, which offered critical technical support and expertise (including director David E. Bowles; Frank Jones; John Foggia);

Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) at Virginia Tech, an official FAA-designated UAS test site (including director, Jon Greene; president, Timothy D. Sands);

Virginia Center for Innovative Technology, which facilitated public- private collaboration and integration;

Appalachian College of Pharmacy, which played a key role in preparing and ensuring the safe dispensing of the prescription medications delivered by drone (including adjunct associate professor of pharmacy, Dr. Shamly Abdelfattah); and

Jack Kennedy, Clerk of the Wise County Circuit Court, who was instrumental in pioneering and championing the concept of using drones for rural medical delivery in the Appalachian region.

Other Notable Partners: Shelcy Mullins, Sr. Fairgrounds; Lonesome Pine Airport manager, Jarrod Powers; RX Partnership executive director Amy Yarcich; Ryan Media Lab chief executive officer Mark A. Ryan and partner Kyle Mark Ryan; and Wise County UAS event coordinator, Andrianah Kilgore.

At that time, delivering medical supplies to rural sites like the RAM Wise County clinic event often required extensive hours of travel that could take hours or days of travel across rugged, mountainous terrain. But on that historic day, a drone carried the same supplies in just minutes--safely and efficiently delivering pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to patients.

This was more than a demonstration of technical prowess--it was a transformative moment for underserved communities. It showed how cutting-edge innovation could eliminate barriers to health care, reduce delays in treatment, and save lives in areas long overlooked by traditional infrastructure.

The implications extended far beyond Southwest Virginia. This mission laid the groundwork for nationwide drone delivery applications and inspired regulatory advancements by the FAA. It served as a springboard for companies to explore widespread drone delivery as a viable, scalable solution.

Mr. Speaker, as we reflect on the 10th anniversary of this historic achievement, we honor all those who made it possible. Their collective vision, determination, and compassion gave rise to a new frontier of health care access, born in the mountains of Central Appalachian Virginia but felt across the globe.

The first FAA-approved drone delivery was not merely a feat of aviation--it was a profound act of compassion. It marked a turning point in how we approach health care access for those living in rural communities. For areas long burdened by limited infrastructure and geographic barriers, this moment offered something far greater than innovation--it delivered dignity and hope. It was, in every sense, the ``Kitty Hawk moment'' for the drone delivery industry and the future of rural health care delivery.

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